The voice of inpatient mental health service

It's in your hands…
1
Issue 11
August
2012
Speakeasy
The voice of inpatient mental health service users
in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea...
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
2
We would like to say a big thank you to everybody who has contributed to this
special Equality and Diversity edition of Speakeasy. We have greatly enjoyed
working with you all and are proud to publish your different viewpoints, along with
fantastic poems and artwork!
Natasha & Kristin (Speakeasy Editors)
EQUALITY is
about fair
treatment
DIVERSITY is
about respecting
difference
What’s inside...
What is Equality and Diversity?
3
Rhyme and Reason ... Poetry and Artwork
4
Your Voice
8
What is a Learning Disability?
10
London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games
12
The Gordon Olympics
13
‘Carry the Torch’ - Music with Lyrics
14
Crossword Corner
16
The Fundamentals of Our Society
17
Advancing Equality and Promoting Diversity
18
Equality and Diversity Survey—Response from CNWL NHS Trust
20
User Focused Monitoring
22
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
3
Equality and Diversity is a
term used to define and
champion equality, diversity and
human rights as defining values
of society. It promotes equality
of opportunity for all, giving
every individual the chance to
achieve their potential, free from
prejudice and discrimination.
Unfortunately, not everyone sees diversity as a positive thing.
With diversity can come prejudice…
Prejudice is an unreasonable dislike of something or someone,
and occurs when people form a negative opinion without
knowing all the facts. These opinions might be based on
someone else's race or religion or gender or many other
characteristics. Prejudice can be caused by fear of the unknown,
or by fear of something different.
Prejudice can lead to unfair treatment and discrimination.
Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person
or group, because of prejudice or stereotyping.
Equality involves treating people
fairly, regardless of any differences
Stereotyping is making generalised assumptions
about a person or group, which are often based on
false or misleading information.
Diversity involves valuing difference
and the specific contributions that
different people make
Equality and Diversity working together...
means treating people according to their different needs
without being unfair to them or others
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
When the doctor hides your way out of hospital
misleading you for greed and curiosity
When the patient doesn’t make the difference
between a hospital and fast food.
The evil rises over goodwill.
4
A child learns new information day by day, hour by hour
Never forgetting one thing
Being nurtured and groomed,
whilst still remembering things from the mothers womb
(Belgrave Ward)
London
London is a city known all over the World.
It has people of every Race and Faith
And hopefully peace will remain
There are many sights to see
Old and new respectively
Many tourists come once
And happily they return
Long live London!
(Westminster)
Waiting List
Waiting for the basics - soap, shampoo, skin cream
Took one month
Waiting for the Consultant
Took weeks
Am I free here?
I am sitting down
Waiting
in the Gordon
Waiting for the Nurses
Do they care about us?
Am I waiting to die here?
It feels like prison
Waiting to go back to the community
Waiting for ward rounds
Waiting for discharge
Will this ever come?
I am trapped here
By People in Power- who wait for nobody
Waiting to speak
Is this freedom of speech?
Waiting to fall asleep
Waiting for my Social Worker
Waiting for my Solicitor
Waiting to leave
Waiting for what?
Waiting to tell my story.
(Ebury Ward)
Then as the years pass
And it is time to go to school
The child may become confused,
Unwell, or be treated like a fool
This happens from time to time
A bit like Cinderella, waiting for the bells to chime.
We all have childlike qualities in us
that need to come out
no shadow of a doubt
Whether it will be in song, dance, reading or writing
It is important to understand
That life can easily pass us by
Of which then adults will cry.
(Ganges ward)
Being in hospital is boring
When I wake up in the morning
All I can see
Are nurses watching me
I have no privacy
They make me feel like The Enemy
I’ve done nothing wrong
Yet I’ve been here for so long
Being here is unnecessary
Why can’t my doctor see?
I need to be free!
There must be another way...
Will I get out of here one day?
What I wouldn’t give
To be able to live
My life freely
Happily and peacefully
But I can only daydream
In reality I just feel demeaned
Locked up and degraded
Treated like a criminal
Faced with a brick wall
I feel humiliated and jaded
My life has faded
At least Speakeasy inspires me
Because it’s full of creativity
Always a pleasure to read
It gives a VOICE to people in need
(Ebury Ward)
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
5
Diagnosis
I was forcibly removed from the street that my
mother-in-law lives on
And placed in a Mental Hospital
I am in a safe place; and the staff are nice too
And, oh, the food is great too
I was sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar
Now, this Mental Health Centre
I don’t believe that I need to be in this place
Maybe, aaaahhhh, maybe
The doctors think that I need to be here
But I function like any other individual
And therefore my conclusion is that
“I am not nuts”
But if I am nuts, my head needs banging a few times
Or held by someone putting their hands on my shoulders
and giving me a good shake and saying “snap out of it”.
Now, really
How can...
Loving flowers
Saying hello to people
Singing
Recycling
(Just to name a few)
... be crazy?
Come on now
There is something called simple common sense
If I am nuts
Then the whole world is craaaaazzzzzzzzzzzy
Anyway that is my conclusion
Just my own opinion
I feel blessed to have that diagnosis
Love Life
My heart flutters
like a newborn butterfly
Accepting the change
and praying to the highest force of nature
Coming to grips with reality
Finally flowing with the winds
Ready to explore life again
almost unaware of the old one
In the name of Allah
most graceful most merciful
My soul Omm searches for enlightenment
One day to be one with light
walking amongst the dead and the living
Once upon a time they lived fast and only on
water and bread
Now my soul can feed because it took heed.
(Ebury Ward)
Flower
(Amazon Ward)
(Amazon Ward)
Somali Poem
Sinnaantaan la magac ahay
San-ku-neefle ma oggoli
Inuu iga sarreyn karo
Anna garasho sogordahan
Sooryo ruux ugama dhigo
I share ideas of equality
A mortal I do not allow
To surpass me
And unfounded words and hints
I confer not on anyone as gifts
Magaceygu waa Mohammed
My Name is Mohammed
Inkastoon sabool ahay
Haddana waan sarriigtaa
Sacabbada ma hoorsado
Saaxiib nimaan nahay
Cadowgayga lama simo
Though impoverished I am
My hardships I endure
And my hands I do not extend
I don’t compare my enemies
to my friends
Magaceygu waa Mohammed
My Name is Mohammed
Nabaddaan u sahanshaa
Colaaddaan ka salalaa
Soomajeesto goobaha
Ninka nabarka soo sida
Gacantiisa kama sugo
I am on a quest for peace
And from enmity I am terrified
But from the battlefield I flee not
And the man who causes wounds
For his hands I await not
Magaceygu waa Mohammed
My Name is Mohammed
(Mulberry South Ward)
Translation by Sadia Abdi (AfMH)
Sleeping art
The other day I was thinking
how much I like being in the
art therapy room.
It is calm, clean and smells
good.
I feel very calm and safe
there.
I was even contemplating
moving my mattress
and bedding
under the tables
to sleep there.
(Thames Ward)
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It's in your hands…
THOMAS
Life has left tabby Thomas.
No longer will he hide away
In basket or pot,
Warmed by the sun,
Peeping out, waiting to be stroked.
Thomas has had his last stroke.
Old by cat years
And slow, he liked a leisurely life.
Vanishing for a few days,
Mary and John were alarmed
Wondering where he had got to.
Was he trapped in a neighbour's house,
Or had he defected to a home
Where better food was provided?
After all, in an attempt to slim him, meals were meagre.
6
So farewell Thomas. Body found in an alley,
You probably had a heart attack.
A swift way of dying. Taken to the vet
For cremation, that final end.
Though you could not appreciate this, even if
living;
You have left a void in the lives
Of those who looked after you
And are fondly remembered by them.
You caused Mary more than an afternoon's tears
In a darkened cinema whilst Mama Mia was
showing.
You have left a Thomas shaped gap in life.
(Westminster)
Leaflets were pushed through letter boxes
On an afternoon of torrential rain;
Detailing him (though he kept his tail)
And asking if he had been seen.
Replies were awaited,
Phone calls and texts came.
Thomas was known and liked in the neighbourhood
But had not been seen for some days.
He visited neighbours and was fed by many of them;
Defeating efforts to thin him down
And make him healthier.
So Thomas, the tabby, was one of life's fat cats,
A much derided species, enjoyed existence
While lying in the sun. A friendly cat
Who liked being stroked, picked up and cuddled,
Not fussy by whom.
He would purr his way to satisfaction.
Dog like he followed those he liked,
Until, in danger of his getting lost,
Those who'd set out would retrace their steps
To bring him home. Shutting him in for safety.
Sketch of Thomas
A take on ADHD and dyslexia diagnosis
Circuits overloaded easily
The ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can make you stop learning easily
The boy has a short attention span like a mosquito's wing span
The medication Ritalin can bring on bipolar disorder
And the ADHD can mean your files are often out of order (mental and physical)
The frustration can make you swear
It is another cross to bear
But some people like Britney Spears have surmounted their conditions and are gifted people
They managed to climb their particular church steeple
Other specific learning difficulties like dyslexia can lead you to the panel of the Dragons Den TV Programme
(Theo Paphitis) or ruling a company like Virgin (Richard Branson)
They are businessmen superior
Having such a condition doesn't make you inferior
A unique take on things can make you see the whole picture
And give you goals which comfort you like the holy scriptures
They can sometimes see the bird's eye view
And not be just another sheep with grass to chew
People with mental ill health sometimes have a comorbid specific learning difficulty diagnosis
But it doesn’t always lead to a grim prognosis
So don't rule out those with specific learning difficulties as pathologically disabled
Their unique take on things can make them doubly enabled
(Kensington & Chelsea)
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It's in your hands…
7
Why are the wards’ nurses not more diverse?
Why are the staff not well rehearsed?
They are rude and they curse
How can a lady or gent take this?
Section 48/49
No fresh air
Oh the smell of the summer breeze
I miss
Oxygen is a necessity
If you can’t provide a garden
then at least a balcony
ICU
Are you for real?
Makes me angry
Then they think it’s insanity
I miss my family
They stopped my visits
This seems criminal
But they won’t admit it
(Nile Ward)
My soul is a prisoner,
It tends towards flight
But it is ever confined
In the shape of life
(Amazon Ward)
(Belgrave Ward)
Peckin'
The saddest thing I ever did see
Was a woodpecker peckin' at a plastic tree.
He looks at me, and "Friend," says he,
"Things ain't as sweet as they used to be."
By Shel Silverstein (Poet)
Bored
Patients on mental health
wards
are often very, very clever
and very, very funny
and very, very dysfunctional
and very, very bored.
(Thames Ward)
(Amazon Ward)
Woodpecker by Anonymous
(Danube Ward)
speak
Ha ha ha harmonica
Ha ha ha harmonica
Who can play ha ha ha?
Who can play harmonica?
Only accurate men
And women
And all mamas!
Why why why?
Why mama?
Because all of us come from the tummy of mama!
Hurray for players of ha ha ha!
Run the space all you women, all you mamas!
Stunningly indescribable women, mamas, you are!!!
(Belgrave Ward)
* ha ha ha = harmonica
Oh na na
Woz my name?
(Vincent Ward)
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
8
Share your thoughts and opinions, and discuss your
experiences ...
If you would like to air your views in the next issue,
please contact Natasha or Kristin:
020 8969 3000
[email protected]
Thank you
Respect diversity
My personal view is that there is only one God. But people can choose how
to pray and who they want to pray to, or even if they want to pray at all. If
people do not believe in God, then that is their right.
I think that religious people should not impose their religion on others. I
think that it is wrong for religion to be used for politics or in the name of
war. Religion is about belief and peace, not about controlling other people.
I think there should be peace and equality for everyone, whatever beliefs
you have, or if you don’t have any religious beliefs. I have friends who are
non-religious people and I have friends of different religions – Hindus,
Muslims, Christians, Jewish people – and we all get along fine.
If you have faith, it can sometimes give you comfort when you are in
hospital. And if you have access to a faith room or a chapel or if you can
see a priest or a religious cleric during your hospital stay, it can really
support you. When I was in hospital, a Catholic nun visited me, and spent
time praying with me. I found it very comforting and reassuring. She
wasn’t at all judgemental, she was just a good listener.
There are lots of different people on the ward, from diverse backgrounds.
People should respect diversity. When you meet and accept and get to
know different people from different backgrounds, it can actually
open your mind. Learning about different cultures, religions and
experiences can give you a more open outlook on life and make you a
better person.
Westminster and London is very mixed and diverse and I think this is a
positive thing.
Anonymous (Westminster)
I would like to say thank you
to all the wonderful people
who have helped me and
saved me from myself in St.
Charles. The doctors, the
pharmacist, the cleaners, the
nurses, the ward managers,
the clinical staff, the porters,
the technicians, the security,
the people who do repairs, the
canteen people, the gardener,
Speakeasy, Advocacy and of
course the Occupational
Therapists and Activity
Coordinators. Thank you all!
Anonymous
(Thames Ward)
“Equality is the soul of
liberty; there is, in fact,
no liberty without it”
Frances Wright
(Writer, Feminist,
Social Reformer)
1795 – 1852
Being blind
When I was first brought in to Kershaw ward, I didn’t want to be here. But since then I have settled in, I have
changed my mind. I have always been independent and done things for myself. I was not used to accepting
help. Now I have to depend on people because I am blind. Even though I
I have to depend on people
cannot see, I can feel how beautiful and kind and caring the nurses and
because I am blind
the other patients are. People who know me and people who don’t know
me – all are so helpful. Sometimes tears come to my eyes when I think of how kind people are to me. They
take me to the toilet, they take me to have a shower or a bath, they help me walk and find my way, they help
me with food, they talk with me.
I only recently lost my sight fully, so I am adapting to being blind and I am having to depend on people more.
This is my request: Please be kind to people who are blind, please be patient with people in my position. It’s
difficult to accept help when you have always been independent. Act with kindness and love, not just out of
duty to your job, because we can feel when someone is caring and
Even though I cannot see, I can feel when someone is just working or doing their job without feeling.
how beautiful and kind the nurses
People here are like my brothers and sisters, it’s like a family. I
and the other patients are
didn’t have this attitude when I first came into hospital , but as time
has passed, my attitude has changed.
Blind people will all have different experiences. But we all have the same goal - to be accepted and to be
helped to get along. It takes a big burden away from our shoulders. I feel very lucky to have people who
accept me and help me get along.
Anonymous (Kershaw Ward)
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It's in your hands…
9
Women of the World UNITE - but for the RIGHT Reasons!
The television can give us all a wonderful 'spyglass' into other lands and cultures. It should always
be remembered though, that TV is organized primarily as a means of ENTERTAINMENT and not
EDUCATION.
Let us celebrate what
Therefore the programs we often see tend to centre on the 'wild' the
unites us, not what
'outrageous' and the 'risky.' Due to this we can, if we’re not careful,
sets us apart
believe that other countries are strange and even unpleasant. For
instance, when in Europe I sometimes despair at the portrayal of
Muslim women - who all too often appear as hooded, faceless 'robots' with no other purpose than to
serve their husbands - a stereotype that is untrue and unfair.
Saying that, here in Iran it is also the case that Europe, as an example, is seen as nothing more
than a land of drinking, whoring and drug taking. This also is untrue. Most European men and
women drink carefully, dress with taste and love their children and families. Women in Europe can
do very well, Margaret Thatcher and the present Chancellor of Germany, a woman, prove that.
I think that European women share far more in common with their Muslim 'sisters' than many might
think ....... Let us celebrate what unites us, not what sets us apart. BUT
NOT ALL!
We can be ladies,
strong and powerful
... and still be good It may be just me, but I, as a lady, have noticed a worldwide trend
amongst girls and it is not pretty. It does not matter if you are in London,
'girly' friends and
Tehran or Tokyo, it seems that far too many young women equate being
mothers
feminine, and speaking like a lady with weakness and old fashioned
values. There is a trend for them to talk like men, to swear and use slang...This street language is
not true equality - dumbing down is never good, let us all stop.
We can be ladies, strong, powerful and still be good 'girly' friends and mothers. Margaret Thatcher
was a lady, and harder than most men - but she was always feminine.
Anonymous (Danube Ward)
Being LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
LGBT people don’t want
It’s not easy to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or intersex
to
‘come out’ because of
(LGBT) on the wards. Hospital is not a gay-friendly place. LGBT people
stigma
and prejudice, so
don’t want to ‘come out’ because of stigma and prejudice, so they
they
hide
who they are
hide who they are. This is not an environment that LGBT people can
recover in. We have too much anxiety and fear about being LGBT in an
unfriendly place, as well as whatever mental health problem we have. If it was gay-friendly, LGBT
people would feel safe, staff would accept them and report homophobia or intervene when other
patients are being homophobic. They would openly welcome LGBT people. But they don’t.
Sometimes homophobia is not direct, it’s not obvious, it’s just an attitude. I don’t feel protected in hospital. There is no protection from the staff when people make fun of gay people. Some staff are homophobic because of their religious and cultural background, and they bring their views to work.
I don’t feel I can talk to staff or tell them I am gay. Being gay is not
an illness, but the issues that LGBT people have to deal with can affect
their mental health. LGBT people have to face things like:
discrimination, violence, rejection by family and friends because you
are gay, bullying at school or work or on the wards, hostility and
rejection from religions and politicians, harassment on the street, and
even violence, These experiences can cause fear, shame, guilt, low self-esteem, depression and
even suicide. Having a mental illness and being gay makes life difficult to live, wherever I go, not
only here but everywhere. It’s like a double stigma. Hospital staff should be aware of these things
and show understanding and acceptance towards LGBT people.
Being gay is not an
illness, but the issues
that LGBT people have to
deal with can affect their
mental health
Anonymous (Gordon Hospital)
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
10
What is a Learning Disability?
It is something you are born with, and affects you
throughout your life. It doesn’t come and go.
It makes it harder to learn and understand information.
You may need help to learn new skills and to live
independently.
Who wrote this article?
We are people who live in Westminster. We all have
learning disabilities and we also have mental health needs.
We belong to a speaking up project at The Advocacy
Project for people with a learning disability who also have
a mental health difficulty and who live in Westminster.
We’re representing ourselves and other people like us in
Westminster.
Power to the people!
We have groups where members can meet and share
about their experiences.
We tell mental health and learning disability services
about what they are good at and what they could do
better.
We give presentations to people who make decisions so
that they can hear what everyone has said and make
services better.
If you would like more information or if you would
like to be involved in the speaking up project at The
Advocacy Project, you can call or email Gen:
020 8962 8695
[email protected]
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
11
I’m 25, I am a mental health service user and I have a
learning disability. I like 50 Cent, G Unit, Chelsea FC and
Frank Lampard. I have a girlfriend and I love her very
much. And I have 2 goldfish called Nemo and Nema. I
have my own flat and I go to college.
Some people with a learning disability can do a lot for
themselves. I like music and I like to keep my flat tidy.
I am going to Paris for a long weekend.
When I was in hospital, the staff did not spend much
time with the patients as the staff were always busy.
People should take their time to explain things to us,
don’t rush us, be patient.
I have a mild learning disability and also a mental
health problem. For me I think what didn’t help was
the way I was taught at school. The teachers did not
help me to have a good education.
Being in hospital is a frightening place to be. What
could help is if staff could help me to calm down and
remind me to take my medication and what it is for.
The staff should take their time to talk to me when I
have issues to talk about.
I have a mental health problem and a learning disability.
For me, a mental health problem is in the mind. I get
depressed quickly and I don’t feel like myself.
A learning disability affects your learning and your writing
and memory. Sometimes I need help with cooking and
cleaning. I need to be reminded how to do it, because a
learning disability can affect your memory. I can’t
remember that many things that are being said. This is
what helps me: Looking at pictures, writing things down,
and my support workers help me by reminding me if I
have appointments.
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It's in your hands…
12
The Olympic and Paralympic Games are held every four years in a different city. In
2012, London hosted the games. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are about much
more than sporting excellence. The founder of the Modern Olympic Movement was
Pierre de Coubertin. He saw an ideal opportunity in the Olympic Games to develop a
set of universal principles – or Values – that could be applied to education and to
society as a whole, as well as to sport itself. The Olympic Values are:
Respect – fair play; knowing one’s own limits; and taking care of one’s health and the environment
Excellence – how to give the best of oneself, on the field of play or in life; taking part; and
progressing according to one’s own objectives
Friendship – how, through sport, to understand each other despite any differences
The Paralympic Values are based on the history of the Paralympic Games and the tradition of fair
play and honourable sports competition. They are:
The Paralympics is INSPIRING and encouraging for all people. The Games show how people can overcome
difficulties and be successful. It also shows that you should not discriminate against somebody just
because they have a disability, and able-bodied people should not presume that people with disabilities
cannot be active and cannot achieve great things in life. It can inspire people with mental health problems
too, as mental illness can also be regarded as a disability.
The atmosphere in London throughout the Olympics was really nice, and lots of help was available from
volunteers. It felt very safe and secure. There were lots of people from different countries - such as
Canada, Poland and Kenya - wearing T-Shirts and flags, and it shows how people can get along and unite.
It has been a really great thing for this country to have the Olympics here. There have been lots of nice
events with big screens held in the parks, for people who could not get tickets. The atmosphere has been
brilliant! I think the Paralympics will also be amazing!
Anonymous (Westminster)
Sport unites people and it should be amicable
between all different races and nations. It brings a
spirit of unity and although it is good to be
competitive, people shouldn’t be aggressive or angry
about it. It should be done in the spirit of
friendship. It’s great to see all the effort London
made for the Olympics and I am proud that London
hosted the 2012 Olympics. It’s good for all the
countries to come together and mix cultures and the
Olympics promotes equality and diversity in this
way.
Anonymous (Gordon Hospital)
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It's in your hands…
13
By Indy Arhi &
Kate Mages (right)
The Gordon Hospital held its own Olympics on the 27th July 2012 at a local venue,
Pimlico Academy. Staff and patients competed together in a variety of different
sports day races, including a Relay Race, Sprint Race, Egg and Spoon Race, Sack
Race, Five-a-Side football tournament and even had a go at Welly Wanging! We had
four teams each representing the different wards, Ebury, Gerrard, Vincent and
Belgrave, competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and the Championship Shield giving them the title of
‘Gordon Olympic Champions 2012!!’ Each ward gave it their all, worked well together and enjoyed being outdoors
for the afternoon. Benefits of the sports day included:






Building confidence and self-esteem
Improving mood and morale
Allowed patients to engage in their local community
Helped build interpersonal skills and provided an opportunity to interact with others
Promoted the benefits of exercise
Assisted in forging better relationships between staff and patients
After all the scores had been counted, Vincent Ward was presented with the winning shield and given the title
‘Gordon Olympics Champions 2012’. In the evening, each ward held an Olympics party to celebrate their successes
and to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
Staff and service users who joined in at the Gordon Olympics said:
There was no staff / patient
barrier, everyone worked
together in teams
It provided a
feel-good
feeling
There was choice
for everyone,
you didn’t have
to be athletic
I think the Gordon
Olympics was a
brilliant idea, to
unite the hospital
and for a fun and
sporting day out!
It gave everyone a
chance to shine
The Gordon Olympics was
great fun! I think the Gordon
every year! People got involved, or watched and
cheered. It was a good
atmosphere!
I was so delighted to be given the privilege and the
fun of presenting the medals to the competitors of
the 2012 Gordon Olympics. As I said at the time, the
wonderful thing about the Olympics is that it brings
people together from across the Globe from points of
great diversity and difference, with a common
purpose. That common purpose is to be the best that
they can be. I felt that the Gordon Olympics was just
the same and for an afternoon everyone came
together to be the best that they could be and, from
where I stood, what was created as a result was very
fine indeed. Thank you to everyone who organised
this terrific event and above all thank you to
everyone for the taking part.
Claire Murdoch, CNWL Chief Executive
At the end of the event, a medals
ceremony was held. Claire Murdoch
(CNWL Chief Executive) attended to
present the medals and winners’ shield
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
14
By Anonymous
(Danube Ward)
By Anonymous (Shannon Ward)
By Anonymous (The Gordon)
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
15
IT’S IN YOUR HANDS…
Would you like to see your work printed in Speakeasy?
Speakeasy magazine provides a creative space for people who use mental
health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea to get their voices heard...
In the hospitals we run Speakeasy groups on the wards, and in the community we run a Different
Voices Group at the Advocate for Mental Health office.
The Speakeasy Groups provide a supportive and safe space for service users to meet and
discuss ideas and to work on contributions. We also meet and work with service users on a
one-one basis
All inpatients, outpatients and ex-patients are welcome to contribute!
Please contact Natasha or Kristin:
020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
Do you need…
Support when attending Ward Rounds, Care Programme meetings (CPAs), and other meetings
related to your stay in hospital?
Support in raising your concerns about your treatment in hospital?
Support in obtaining information about your rights and treatment?
Advocates are…
Free
Independent – we are not part of the team of doctors, social workers or nursing staff.
Confidential – We do not pass on information you share with us to other people or agencies.
Not advice givers – We do not give advice, but provide you with the information you need
to make an informed decision.
Contact an advocate on: 020 8969 3000
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
16
CROSSWORD CORNER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
14
15
17
10
16
18
19
20
21
22
23
Across
1. Large body of water
4. Upper limb
6. Conjecture
7. Female deer
9. Kit ___
11. Sculpture or painting
13. You plant it
14. Thing to worship
15. In debt
17. Pig's home
19. Had eaten
21. FBI officer
22. Chewing treat
23. Large container for liquids
Down
1. Unhappy
2. Number of years old
3. Doe, fawn, or buck
4. Pose a question
5. Small carpet
8. Openly
10. Approximately
11. Ruckus
12. Worn around the neck
16. 7 days
17. Droop
18. Sweet potato
19. All Terrain Vehicle
20. Consume food
ANSWERS ON PAGE 24
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
17
Liberty ... Humanity ... Democracy ... Technology
Liberty: The individual's freedom of subjective choice of being.
Humanity: The unity of all human beings, animals, planet earth, and the universe as a whole are meant to be
creatures of a single, divine cosmos. Please, respect.
Democracy: Out of several different forms of experiences, dealing with the art of leadership of state and society,
Democracy as a form of power turned out to be the best of all bad systems.
Technology: Since the 16th century, scientists in Europe began to embrace the sciences of nature to develop
technical skills which have led to the exploration of world, nature and society. So far, so good.
What tends to be forgotten, is the duty of responsibility towards the planet, towards human beings as cosmic
creatures. There is a need for a constant and perpetual reincarnated critical consciousness.
As far as we move away from responsibility, the nearer we will move towards a realm of unquestioned
Totalitarianism – where the state has absolute authority and seeks to control every aspect of public and private
life.
There will occur a turning point, a point of no return, where we will be left in the position of trying to 'close the
stable door after the horse has bolted’. If the current trend continues, a trend (European) societies have directed
since 1989, that point is not too far from occurring.
There is an assumption that trends like these are not possible to be influenced by mere words alone.
But, what else can be done ?
Nothing.
By Anonymous
Times will change. Most of us living citizens will experience that turning point.
(Westminster)
Artwork by Anonymous (Amazon Ward)
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
18
By Richard Bryant-Jefferies, Head of Equalities and Diversity
We welcome the opportunity to share something of how CNWL responds to the Equality and Diversity (E&D) Agenda.
Responding sensitively and appropriately to individuals lies at the heart of what the Trust aims to achieve. Staff,
service users, carers and relatives all have a basic right to be treated fairly and as individuals with their personal
identity enquired about and responded to in the context of health and social care.
Responding sensitively and
Conferences
appropriately to individuals
The Trust runs Conferences and events to address issues of Equality and Diversity.
lies at the heart of what the
In 2010 and 2011 the Trust ran its first Faith and Spirituality conferences promoting
Trust aims to achieve
awareness of the importance of including faith and spirituality considerations as part
of the assessment process. The most recent Trustwide Conference, “You can’t ask about that (…or can you?)”, was
CNWLs first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) health conference. The Conference focused on issues
associated with data collection and assessment processes, and the importance of enquiring about service users’
sexual orientation.
Training
Training is one of the areas addressed within the Equality Objectives and the Trust has an exciting programme of
training and training development. Currently we run Cultural Competency Training for Managers, Equality and
Human Rights Impact Assessment training and Reasonable Adjustment training. We also have e-learning packages:
an Introduction to Equalities and Diversity within CNWL, Diversity in the Workplace and Understanding Disability. We
have recently introduced Faith and Spiritual Assessment training within the Trust’s Recovery College and are
currently developing LGB&T Awareness sessions for hospital staff (to which Advocate for Mental Health have
provided very helpful input) and will soon begin work on training to extend understanding of the needs of migrants
and asylum seekers.
Interpreting
A particularly exciting development at the moment is in relation to interpreting provision. Now that Camden Provider
Services is part of CNWL, it means that the Trust has its own Interpreting Service, Camden Provider Service
Interpreting Service (CPSIS). CPSIS is currently expanding its capacity to take on much of the interpreting provision
across the Trust. As a result we will have a mainly locally and internally managed interpreting provision which will
also reduce interpreting costs to the Trust.
CNWL has a diverse
workforce and we
serve some of the
most diverse areas
within London
Conclusion
CNWL has a diverse workforce and we serve some of the most diverse areas within London.
In our training we emphasise the importance of making good use of the diversity around
us, encouraging our teams to be not just multi-professional where conversations across
professional groups is the norm, but multi-cultural in the widest possible sense in which
staff can offer their diverse experiences and backgrounds to enrich service delivery and the
workplace experience.
Alison Devlin Equalities and Diversity Co-ordinator,
answers questions submitted by services-users
from Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea:
What does Equality and Diversity mean?
Equality is about fairness, about everyone, irrespective of their situation or family background, being offered and
receiving opportunities as equally as the ‘majority’ population. This theoretical ‘majority population’ is understood to
be White, British-born, male, heterosexual, English-speaking, literate, employed, non-pregnant, able-bodied,
nominally Christian and aged 25-40. Now of course this does not represent the ‘average’ person in Britain.
Equality is all about ensuring that people without one or many of these features have a fair share of opportunities.
For service users, to receive fair services, may require that extra support is provided by the Trust, perhaps in terms
of interpreters or adjustments for disabilities, or that faith support is offered wider than just for Christians.
The characteristics which are protected by UK law are: race/ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion/belief, sexual
orientation, transgender, being married/in a civil partnership and being pregnant. Unfortunately, some
characteristics which are known to impact on fair access to services – such as literacy in English, educational
background, social class and obesity - are not protected by UK law.
Diversity is about appreciating and valuing difference. Diversity is welcomed as it brings in new ideas and new
experiences. For a team to work together successfully, individuals need to appreciate that other people’s values,
although different, are just as valid as their own, team members also need to modify some behaviours, which
although seen as normal within their own group, become unacceptable within a more mixed team.
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
19
What does your job involve?
Ensuring that fairness and considering the different needs of different
groups becomes just what people do
as part of their job. I, along with my
colleague Richard Bryant–Jefferies,
train managers and staff on how to
conduct Equality Impact
Assessments and work with the IT
and nursing teams to make changes
to the patient assessment forms and
databases to allow collection of
equalities data. I bring frontline
members of CNWL staff together
with community organisations with
expertise in particular communities
so that the staff can learn about the
special requirements of individuals
from these communities.
I develop ways to support staff who
are from minority groups so that
they feel that they can share their
knowledge and experiences with
colleagues – so that they all learn
from each other. Mental health care
is constantly evolving, most recently
with moves towards a Recovery
focused model, so there are always
opportunities to build upon fairness
within the system.
What made you want to do this
job?
From 1987 to 2009 I worked as a
Podiatrist (or Chiropodist) within the
NHS, not in London, but in
Buckinghamshire. Whilst there, it
became apparent that despite a
significant local Pakistani
community, there were very few of
them presenting for treatment. So
I set out to find why this was,
especially as research had shown
that Diabetes was 5 times more
prevalent in this ethnic group than in
the ‘majority’ white population and
diabetics are more prone to foot
problems. My findings led onto
changes to how the podiatry team
delivered our care. We started using professional interpreters, we did foot health education sessions within the
community, we and our pharmacy suppliers liaised with the local mosques for acceptable alternatives to the antiseptics
that we routinely used which contained alcohol which the Muslim community weren’t keen on us using. So one thing led
to another and I was asked to take this community involvement / service improvement model and help the local
maternity unit and mental health unit within the same Trust to unpick their services in the same way. That was in 1999
and I’ve been doing similar work ever since, although with changes to UK discrimination law, it’s not just about ethnic
minority groups but across 9 protected characteristics.
Do you ever meet patients in your job?
Not often, as my role is working within the organisation to make it more competent at working with difference. However
when working with individual services, this often means linking them up with speciality community organisations, and
often the person I am liaising with is a current or past mental health service user as they are able to understand both
camps – something called cultural brokerage.
How does Equality and Diversity affect patients?
Through the quality of the care that is provided by every member of staff for every patient, irrespective of the
background characteristics of the patient and those of the staff member. And as the communities of London change, so
do our patient populations, so staff knowledge constantly needs to be kept up to date.
If you
you would
would like
like to
to contribute
contribute to
to the
the next
next issue
issue of
of Speakeasy,
Speakeasy, please
please contact
contact Natasha:
Natasha: 020
020 8969
8969 3000
3000 or
or [email protected]
[email protected]
If
Advocate for Mental Health conducted a User Involvement Equality and Diversity Survey over 6 months,
from January to June 2012. A total of 58 service users participated in the survey. All participants had
experience of using inpatient services at the Gordon or St Charles.
The survey aimed to explore the experiences of some of the more marginalised groups of service users.
The 7 categories we looked at were: Language, Literacy (Reading and Writing), Ethnic and Cultural
Background, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Experience, Physical Disability, Learning
Disability, and Religion or Spiritual Beliefs. The survey focused on 3 areas – support, respect, and
discussion/disclosure.
Many thanks to the many mental health service users
who agreed to share their views and experiences with us.
Natasha and Kristin (Advocate for Mental Health User Involvement Workers)
The key issues that are addressed in the survey results affect both the Gordon Hospital and St Charles equally and
will be responded to as one.
Languages
We are pleased that a majority of people over the two sites felt supported in relation to support and respect about
their Language. However it is clear that further work is needed to improve upon the findings.
Each service has immediate and planned access to interpreters if required from external sources. As both sites are
based in the heart of London, there is a rich and diverse use of Languages spoken by the staff team as well. We
need to utilise this more effectively where for example a patient who speaks a certain language can be seen more
quickly and frequently by a member of staff who speaks the same language. To do this, we will explore the
potential to develop of a database of languages that our staff able to speak more fluently.
Literacy
We recognise that this is an area for greater improvements to be made. Our therapy teams are currently looking at
ways in which we are able to identify and support people who require aspects of their care and recovery to focus on
their literacy skills. Nursing staff will now be made aware through their team briefings about this issue, so that
identification and acknowledgement can be made at an earlier stage.
Ethnic and Cultural Background
This was an area with mixed results, but again with further work for us to consider. We are concerned that patients
are hearing our staff speak in their own languages around the ward. We will be reminding staff that they should not
do this and will take action where it does occur.
Respecting cultural issues is very important to our service users and currently this is being discussed within our
team meetings as this has been a theme within some recent complaints. We will continue to monitor this and raise
this within our local meetings.
LGBT
This is the area of most concern to us at the Gordon and St Charles, indeed we believe this is an area that requires
addressing within the Service Line and furthermore Trustwide.
We were aware before these results that this was the area of key concern to our users. Our ward teams have
already been reminded of their responsibilities with regards to this issue. Where individual complaints have been
received, the Matrons and Service Managers have attended ward meetings to discuss very specific individual cases.
There is however significant concern where the Acute Service Line Care Quality Group will consider how this is
tackled.
It's in your hands…
21
Learning Disability
Each ward at St Charles and the Gordon has resource packs for staff to consider whenever they have an
admission from someone with a learning disability.
We will be sharing the results and comments of this survey to all staff on all of the wards serving St Charles and
the Gordon Hospitals. We were disappointed to hear that service users felt that staff did not understand or
respect the particular issues within this group of service users.
We intend to discuss this further with our medical colleagues and at our care quality forums so that we are able
to identify a positive plan of actions that we can take. Primarily we will be focussing on raising staff awareness
and identifying those staff who need training with regards to learning disability.
Physical Disability
We were extremely saddened to hear that our services users with a physical disability felt unsupported and not
respected because of their individual presentation.
Both at St Charles and the Gordon, we have identified individual wards where people with a physical disability
should be admitted. The reason for this is that staff should be more knowledgeable and able to respect
individuals with a physical disability, which makes these results doubly disappointing. Specially identified wards
also helps to provide an environment that has been adapted to meet the more specific needs of individuals.
We will share these results with all the wards and teams in both hospitals and senior staff of those wards will be
asked to discuss with their teams the findings of this survey.
Religion and Spiritual Belief
At St Charles the results were better than that of the Gordon and we suspect the primary reason is that there is a
contract in place at St Charles for external religious and spiritual support.
The Gordon Hospital has just signed a similar contract and we are hopeful that we will see improvements soon.
Both sites need to improve their identification and assessment of spiritual and religious needs and this will be
taken up with the wards directly.
Staff training
As well as raising this within the local team meetings we have identified ward champions for most of these areas
and we will be asking each ward champion to deliver ward teaching sessions and prepare information for new
staff being inducted to the wards. Additionally we are currently developing LGB&T awareness training. Members
of the Trust's LGB&T Staff Network have volunteered to develop and deliver this and Advocacy for Mental Health
LGB&T specialists has been involved in discussions with regard to content and design for which we are very
grateful. We are also discussing how Advocate for Mental Health specialist workers in this area can be involved in
the delivery of this training which will initially target ward staff.
Monitoring
We will continue to monitor our progress with Advocate for Mental Health at our ward and local Care Quality
Forums
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
22
User Focused Monitoring (UFM) was set up by service users who realised that the best people
to evaluate mental health services are service users themselves. The programme has been
running successfully in Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster for over 15 years. A team of
service users regularly conduct interviews, site visits and focus groups to find out the views
and experiences of people using mental health services in the two boroughs. The aim is to
ensure that the evaluations lead to real changes and improvements in services. In the
following two articles , two members of UFM give an insight into UFM and what it's like to be a
UFM interviewer:
“I am a service user and I joined the UFM interviewing team in 2005. I live in South Westminster. UFM are a group of
service users who interview our fellow service users, asking them what they think of the mental health services provided
by CNWL. Our findings are fed back to management and we work with managers to ensure changes and improvements
are made to services based on user feedback.
When I first joined UFM the project in hand was to interview inpatients and day patients using the various hospitals in
Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea - the Gordon, St Charles and South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Unit.
Following that I interviewed service users in the community who were using either the Assertive Outreach Team or the
Joint Homelessness team. The interviews conducted with service users of the Joint Homelessness Team were very
eye-opening because they produced harrowing accounts of homelessness and desperate situations. We have also
evaluated the services of the Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) by interviewing those service users on CPA.
As fellow service users we feel More recently UFM work has diversified into interviewing users of psychological
a sense of equality and we can therapies and also asked people who have been involved in personal budgets
what they thought about the whole process of personalisation. Another exciting
empathise with each other
project has been running focus groups to ask people about what they thought of
the new Recovery College, in terms of the courses offered, accessibility to
courses and whether the experience was helpful.
What I found in my community interviews was that the service users I interviewed often expressed extremes of opinion:
they were either extremely satisfied with the treatment they received from community services or were extremely
bewildered and dissatisfied. This may have of course differed from the overall statistical summary of the project.
However, I would say this emphasises that treatment has to be designed with each individual in mind – there can be no
generalisation.
I have also observed an inequality of facilities and services within the mental Although everyone’s experience is
health trust. For instance one hospital has inpatient rooms with en suite
unique we can often share
facilities while in my local hospital the Gordon Hospital inpatients still have to
experiences which may
put up with shared lavatories and bathing facilities. This is rather a
encourage the person being
disappointment because you would expect service users to enjoy equal
interviewed to give fuller views
treatment wherever they are. I hope that the work of UFM will help to
and information
standardise the quality of services and facilities throughout the mental
health trust.
I have found that among the service users I interview, some give very different answers to the same questions. This also
indicates that treatment is a very individual experience. I would conclude again that treatment has to be approached
with the individual in mind.
Most service users are generally very interested and responsive in being interviewed by fellow service users and in
answering our questions. As fellow service users we feel a sense of equality and we can empathise with each other.
Although everyone’s experience is unique we can often share experiences which may encourage the person being
interviewed to give fuller views and information.
I feel my work with UFM is of great importance because in order that any organisation may develop in a positive way it
needs to know how those using its services react to what is available. This is especially true with something as important
as mental health services. I like to think that I am making my small individual contribution to helping the Trust design
its services according to the needs of its service users”.
Should any Speakeasy readers
be approached by UFM to be
interviewed in the future, I
hope that they will be happy to
Should any Speakeasy readers be approached by UFM to be interviewed in the
future, I hope that they will be happy to take part. The answers to our
questions are completely confidential and anonymous your views can help us in
our work to make a real difference to mental health services”.
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
23
“Becoming a member of UFM (User Focused Monitoring) has been a challenging and exciting opportunity to see how
service users like me can help improve the lives of other people with mental illness.
With the UFM team, I interview people who use mental health services and get their response to feedback to the
service managers. I have been actively involved in meeting staff at CNWL, K&C Link and in IT Training.
In 1995, I was rushed into St. Charles hospital, Avondale ward. It was a terrifying experience for me, one that I will
It has been a slow recovery.
I have come a long way and
have achieved so much!
never forget! I remember feeling physically sick and was told that I was on
section for six months. I just wanted to get out. Other people on the ward
made feel uncomfortable and disturbed. I didn't like the way I was treated by
medical staff. Left on my own I was pretty much silenced. When I behaved
badly nurses would send me to my room and when I absconded, several times, they transferred me to another
ward.
I made friends with patients and some staff were supportive and understanding. My family helped me come to terms
with my illness. My mum would visit me every day and bring me food to eat. Some patients would behave violently
and I was scared. The staff would lock the front door so that I could not escape.
It wasn't all doom and gloom, there were good days and bad. My Social Worker looked
after me and I could see my GP to express my feelings or visit the OREMI centre for
recreational activities – it was somewhere to go to make new friends. There was this
Joining UFM is my
chance to give
something back
'Out patients' Club where some of the patients got together to play pool, join music
class, pottery or writing class and gardening. Woodwork class at the Waterview was a lot of fun.
When I was discharged from hospital I moved into a bedsit. I was very happy. I didn't feel afraid any more, I felt
safe even though I was still very ill. I try to spend more time at home with my family. We go out for a meal or watch
a movie occasionally. It has been a slow recovery. I have come a long way and have achieved so much! I'm so
proud of myself. I want to say a big thank you to all the professional staff and my family for empowering me and
changing my life for the better. Joining UFM is my chance to give something back.”
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]
It's in your hands…
24
DIFFERENT
VOICES
User
Involvement
Group
Do you think you're getting the right kind of mental health service?
Do you want to have your say on services in Westminster and Kensington &
Chelsea?
Do you want to be part of the Service Users' magazine Speakeasy?
If the answer is yes, you might be interested in joining the Different Voices user group. The
group meets once every six weeks. It is a friendly group and welcomes new members.
The purpose of the group is to provide a supportive and safe space for service users to 
share experiences of mental health services across the two boroughs and identify
collective issues of concern.

discuss and proactively respond to issues identified by the group with a particular focus
on inpatients' experience.

support each other by sharing knowledge and expertise.

take forward the issues arising from Advocate for Mental Health's inpatient surveys and
the feedback from the Inpatient User Forums and Focus Groups.

work on contributions for Speakeasy, the service user magazine.
Membership is open to those who have used mental health services in Westminster or
Kensington & Chelsea. Members who have experience of hospital admissions are particularly
encouraged and welcomed.
If you would like to get involved please contact the User Involvement Workers:
Natasha and Kristin 020 8969 3000
ANSWERS TO THE CROSSWORD ON PAGE 16:
Across: 1.sea, 4.arm, 6.guess, 7.doe, 9.Kat, 11.art, 13.seed, 14.idol, 15.owe, 17.sty, 19.ate, 21.agent,
22.gum, 23.vat Down: 1.sad, 2.age, 3.deer, 4.ask, 5.mat, 8.overt, 10.about, 11.ado, 12.tie, 16.week,
17.sag, 18.yam, 19.ATV, 20.eat
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Speakeasy, please contact Natasha: 020 8969 3000 or [email protected]